


Lost At Sea - Hardenshipping Angst

by anamnesisapproaches



Category: Pokemon - Fandom
Genre: AU, Dehydration, Gay, Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, Lost to sea, M/M, Malnourishment, Mourning, Shipwreck, Some comfort, hell yeah, mega gay, tag rambles, theyre married., they’re married, to each other, very gay, yeah that’s right
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-23
Updated: 2019-07-23
Packaged: 2020-07-11 19:13:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,834
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19933114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anamnesisapproaches/pseuds/anamnesisapproaches
Summary: Archie is lost at sea, and Maxie is in mourning. He wishes that his husband would return, and wishes that everything could have gone differently.





	Lost At Sea - Hardenshipping Angst

**Author's Note:**

> Oh boy oh howdy I finally posted another fic. 
> 
> Just so you all know, I’ve had writers block for over a month now, and honestly things have been rough. I need to stay up later than normal to get any kind of inspiration. 
> 
> My next fic... I dunno what it’ll be. I’ll think about it. 
> 
> As always, Comments, Bookmarks and Kudos are very much appreciated!

When the sun rose high, and the earth turned dry, the creatures of the night lay low. All those who can say that they love the break of day do quite well in the heat of the Star above. Beings of land and sea meet together at the shore, and trade in contact with their worlds, for better or for worse. Sailors tend to explore the oceans up and down, and many get lost at sea.

Maxie was standing ankle-deep in the ocean waters, staring at the dark fluid beneath him. His normally smooth hair was oddly unkempt for his style, looking as if the man had simply wandered into the foggy shores seeking refuge in the dusky loneliness. His glasses were clouded with the surrounding humidity, making it nearly impossible to see the letter and stone from months ago that had been delivered to him.

That seemingly long time ago, Maxie had been waiting for a letter from his beloved Archie, desiring to hear from his husband, whom of which was out to sea for various reasons.

The messenger Maxie very well desired had arrived on the back of a blue Rapidash, galloping through the pouring rain with a small letter written in cursive. It had been tied together in a blood red bow, and the news it carried was as sickening as the red binds keeping it sealed. Maxie remembered reaching out to it, and taking the small piece of paper before reading it in the pouring rain. It was rather long, and took a while to get to the cruel point.

_**Dear Mr. Aomatsu,** _

_**As many people may know, and as you very well understand, the artistic endeavor of Maritime Travel and Coastal Activities is a very dangerous career to explore. Such events can occur that cause impairment to oneself or their vessel in which one may reside in. These storms, attacks, and other interesting or odd events are recognized to be an occupational hazard in this aforementioned career.** _

_**We are sorry to inform you that the wreckage of the ship “Samehader” has been found floating about in the bay of Sunyshore city, Sinnoh, on the first day of Winter. The ship was last known to last have set off to Unova to ship various berries and perishable goods to the region, however due to a growing storm, it seems that the vessel had been demolished, and your Husband lost to the restless ocean.** _

_**The benefits of this event will not bring much consolation, as we simply have enclosed what little we could find of your partner’s belongings. There is a Mega Stone of the Sharpedonite enclosed in the package with a single link of golden chain. We could only find those items in the wreckage of the ship.** _

_**We are sorry for your loss, and hope that this letter may help you overcome this horrible event.** _

_**Sincerely,** _

_**The National Hoenn Maritime Institute.** _

Even now, months later, Maxie was still despaired over what had happened. He hadn’t checked the mail since, and every seething moment of his life was left in sheer loneliness. Despite being aggressively introverted, the geologist knew for a fact that he was very reliant on having some form of contact. Yes, Shelly and Courtney did visit, but rarely did they ever truly help, For the type of loneliness which plagued Maxie was something that corroded his very soul, and screamed at him to do something, anything, to help null the pain’s sharp edge.

The ocean always reminded the Widower of his lost love. It’s gentle ebb and flow is often so silky, sometimes Maxie opens his eyes and wildly looks around, since he thought the feeling of the water was Archie’s touch. However it was always just a small trail of sand getting pulled away by the salty tide, endlessly taunting the absence of his soulmate time and time again.

He knew that Archie was truly one with the thing he loved secondly most. The sea.

For he was at the bottom of it.

“Riptide… Such a strange word…” Maxie called out into the foggy night, singing as if nobody was listening. His voice was off-key, and it cracked from the lack of recent use. He didn’t care that it was before the break of dawn, he simply sung his broken little heart out in hopes that Archie would be able to hear him.

“After all, it’s just a tidal purge…” his little Hoennian accent trilled warmly in the air like a little numel; almost. He didn’t exactly care what he sang, it was just a pure improvisational distraction.

“But then when you look a little closer…. You can see it in his eyes, he doesn’t seem too alive... Is he alive to you?” the sheer soul that went into his moment was almost depressing. It even brought tears to his own eyes. Just barely could the silhouettes of countless sailboats be seen in the moonlight through the fog.

“And then when you kiss a little deeper…. You can feel it in his lips, they’re like the riptide all over again..”

He hoped for someone to show up, possibly hearing him make a poetic cry for help. He just wanted someone to embrace with his frail, bandaged arms. Even Tabitha would be a welcome soul to him, hungry for soft attention. The lighthouse he and Archie used to run together in the past was now only manned by Maxie, who had a Weezing that could generate masses of light with its Thunder attack. His highly trained Pokémon was good enough to power the lighthouse, though it was tough on the poor thing. He felt bad a lot of the time, and occasionally allows his Mightyena and Houndoom to use Thunder Fang to power it instead.

Out in the distance, a small rickety boat seemed to make its way closer and closer. Maxie thought nothing of it, as often times people docked at the lighthouse to rest in case there was a storm that tired out their crew. Nonetheless, Maxie did not care, as he stared down at the water below, or perhaps the wrought silver ring which laid daintily upon his left hand. The night grew brighter as the sun clawed away whatever darkness infected the world, shooing away it’s very existence like a hooting parent to a child.

Maxie could hear the small boat dock on the sand, and the person walks out into the beach. Their footsteps were heavy and made loud sloshing noises in the wet sand, which became louder as they approached the redhead with care. Maxie had long locks of hair that cascaded down over his thin and sunken face like waterfalls of lava, shielding his subtle features from the break of day. His melancholy aura was shattered as a thick hand grasped his chin. Oddly enough, he seemed to recognize that hand. Could it be Matt?

“Hey, m’ Li’l nugget…” and with a gasp, Maxie’s eyes bulged, wide and wary, especially through his thick glasses. He looked up so quickly, that his glasses fell halfway off from the movement. They both met eyes with each other, Archie supporting Maxie’s back to prevent the smaller man from falling.

“A-Archie…!!!???”

“Hey, Nerd. Ya miss me?”

Maxie’s heart soared, lunging forwards immediately so his lips pressed up against Archie’s as they pulled into a deep, passionate kiss. It had been a long time coming for that feeling of each other’s warmth. It was a long time that Maxie had waited to feel the scratchiness of his lover’s beard against his face.

“I knew it- I knew you were alive!!!” Maxie isn’t sure why he said that. He had convinced himself the exact opposite thing, wallowing in despair instead of preparing for joy. “I knew you’d come back, Archie…. I love you…”

“Wow, you’re a sad sap today! Must’ve been pretty miserable during my absence... but now it’s honestly kinda cute…” Archie took Maxie’s face and squished it playfully while Maxie struggled against the grasp in a lighthearted manner. Maxie was pulled into another passionate kiss, this time almost collapsing into Archie.

“I have permission to be a sad sap, I’ve been missing you so much...”

The smaller, red toned man was malnourished, and the sailor was dehydrated, which resulted in both of them almost falling into the salty brine below them, if it weren’t for Archie catching Maxie’s arm before he fell.

“Ya look exhausted, love. Let’s get ya inside so y’ can rest up.” Archie then picked up Maxie, and walked him inside, finally getting a grasp on how truly fragile his husband is. Once inside, Archie placed Maxie on a bed, and then proceeded to chug fresh water from the nearby bathroom. He needed liquid badly, but the need was easily fulfilled by their well. Archie relished each drop, enjoying how the smooth liquid trickled down his rough throat, quenching his thirst unlike any other liquid could. Maxie was never one to hydrate well, which confused Archie. Who wouldn’t enjoy the sensual and satisfying feeling which came from water?

Nonetheless, it was not time to get distracted. After hydrating himself properly, Archie climbed into bed, curling around Maxie’s shivering body. He was somehow cold, leading the taller and stronger of the pair into reaching out and embracing him with great warmth. Maxie immediately began to settle down at that, his breath mellowing from an unnerving shutter to a deep, slow movement. A slow, caressing hand brushed up against Maxie’s cherry red cheeks. Archie’s calloused hands felt rough against the perfectly smooth, yet mildly wrinkly skin. It felt like he was running his fingers along a sheet of pure silk, the material fraying a little, as Maxie’s upper cheeks had an odd but satisfying fuzz to them. The touch of Archie’s gentle hand was more than enough to quell Maxie’s normally wild nerves.

“Tell me, Archibald…” Maxie used Archie’s birth name for emphasis. He was half-asleep, but needed to know one last thing before he fell asleep. Archie was put slightly on edge at the use of his other name, but paid close attention, as he knew Maxie only used it when he desperately wanted attention of some sort.

“...Will you be here when I wake up…? Or is this another cruel dream...”

Archie did not reply at first. He felt a mild heartache swell in his chest. That sentence implied that Maxie had been wallowing over Archie for the long stretch of time he was missing. A mild rush of guilt formed, but the sailor shook it off before the pause between Maxie’s question and his answer got too large.

“I’ll be here. Always. I will be here when ya wake up, and when ya come home. I’ll never go out t’ sea again, if y’ want..” Archie placed the most tender kiss to Maxie’s neck, just before running a hand through his hair. They held each other, closer than ever, knowing that they both will never again be lost at sea.


End file.
